Monday, 19 December 2011

The hill giants of Peakvale {Campaign Settings}

In It Came From Beyond the Stars! I established some of the creatures that inhabit Peakvale, specifically the wilderness between Thornguard and Willowmoss as well as the Greyshades.


Those who follow the relatively safe roads are only likely to come across either bandits or wayward urooks, but there are more sinister dangers, especially at night, such as giant eagles or the bane of merchants - Hill Giants.

There is one particular giant family who lives in the foothills of the Dhezereth Mountains, close to Willowmoss, who sometimes venture out onto trade routes in the hope of finding some dinner in the form of horses and people. Those who survive these harrowing ambushes tell tales of 16ft tall brutes carrying crudely-made spears and clubs, who are able to rip a horse apart like a person tears paper. It's said that the hills where the giants make their home is full of riches that they have stolen from merchants.

Hill giants generally have a monster rating of 90, but larger ones can go as high as 120. They aren't intelligent in the traditional sense of the word, but have created close-knit societies and look out for one another.

Hill Giant
Level 6
ST: 45, DX: 19, LK: 10, CN: 61, INT: 5, SPD: 17, CHR: 50
Personal adds: + 45
Weapons: Giant Spear (10d6), Sling (4d6)
Spite: 1/1
Equipment: Giant clothing, giant sack, giant boots

In appearance, hill giants resemble humans with short tusks jutting from their lower jaw. Their hair is often tied back into a ponytail, secured by rope. Typical names include Hram, Hron, Brot and Dreg for males and Vran, Freg, Vross and Krin for females. On the last day of the year, giants from around Peakvale meet to bring in the new year, celebrating with food, a roaring fire and stolen alcohol. They exchange gifts with one another and dance until the sun rises. The new year's celebrations take place at Black Rock, in the Dhezereth foothills and travellers have been warned that venturing there at this sacred time will almost always result in their bloody demise.



1 comment:

  1. A little traditional, for my tastes, but that is a strong point for you. Very nicely done.

    ReplyDelete